Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of this survey was to assess medical students’ opinions about online learning programs and their preferences for specific teaching formats during COVID 19 pandemic.MethodsBetween May and July 2020, medical students who took an online gynecology and obstetrics course were asked to fill in a questionnaire anonymously. The questionnaire solicited their opinions about the course, the teaching formats used (online lectures, video tutorials featuring real patient scenarios, and online practical skills training), and digital learning in general.ResultsOf 103 students, 98 (95%) submitted questionnaires that were included in the analysis. 84 (86%) students had no problem with the online course and 70 (72%) desired more online teaching in the future. 37 (38%) respondents preferred online to traditional lectures. 72 (74%) students missed learning with real patients. All digital teaching formats received good and excellent ratings from > 80% of the students.ConclusionThe survey results show medical students’ broad acceptance of the online course during COVID 19 pandemic and indicates that digital learning options can partially replace conventional face-to-face teaching. For content taught by lecture, online teaching might be an alternative or complement to traditional education. However, bedside-teaching remains a key pillar of medical education.
Highlights
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has posed challenges for medical education facilities, with the need to shift rapidly from the usual face-to-face teaching to online learning as routines in hospitals and medical schools have been interrupted by COVID-19 lockdown [1, 2]
The 5-day online course that took 3 h daily replaced a practical course in gynecology and obstetrics and was administered using different digital education formats: online lectures in gynecology and obstetrics, including live presentations on the main gynecological and obstetric diseases; video tutorials featuring real patient scenarios on topics such as vaginal delivery and caesarian section; and online education in gynecological examination and practical skills
Seventy-four (76%) students agreed that the instruction of the online course was well prepared [“true”, n = 40 (41%); “mostly true”, n = 34 (35%)], whereas six (6%) students did not [“mostly untrue” and “not true”, n = 3 (3%) each]
Summary
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has posed challenges for medical education facilities, with the need to shift rapidly from the usual face-to-face teaching to online learning as routines in hospitals and medical schools have been interrupted by COVID-19 lockdown [1, 2]. Digital learning platforms like AMBOSS have been established in the past few years in German medical schools and
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